Beat officers form core of police campaign against downtown crime
Dozens of new downtown patrol constables are the most visible feature of a three-year police strategy to tackle crime in the Calgary core.
Starting May 27, 47 new officers will join the 15 others currently dedicated to patrolling inner city neighbourhoods, including downtown and the Beltline.
Deputy Chief Al Redford likened the operation on Wednesday to a paramilitary campaign to crack down on crime. "We intend to make the downtown core unpleasant for those who make it unpleasant for others," he said.
Chief Rick Hanson said he believes this "aggressive approach to taking back the streets" will make a big difference.
"If it's 10 o'clock at night and there is a play getting out down here, instead of seeing half a dozen guys dealing drugs, what they see is a half a dozen or two or three or four police officers on foot patrol there," Hanson said.
Business owners hopeful
Four teams will work 6 a.m. to 4 a.m. seven days a week, and they will have the use of their own dedicated radio channel, announced the force.
Breakdown of downtown beat officers
- 12 veteran officers.
- 29 officers from the United Kingdom.
- 20 internal applicants.
- 1 job share.
Saleem Abdo, who runs Pita Express downtown, hopes it will work.
"You see lots of homeless people coming and going and hanging out here. I have been broken into three times in the last six years," he said.
Fred Konopaki, who owns the Palomino Smokehouse, said he's already noticed improvements on Seventh Avenue S.W.
"No one would walk this street. Now it's way better," said the restaurant owner. "It didn't take more than a month for me to notice the customers, not my customers, but just regular citizens walking the street that I'd never seen before."
Konopaki said most of the crime was related to the drug trade, but credits the change to a police crackdown and renovation plans for rundown buildings in the area.
Questions about crime moving to other areas
Steve Douglas, who works downtown, said he was attacked recently as he walked home to Bridgeland after a late-night shift.
"There was four guys there. They said, 'Give me your money.' I said: 'No way.' They hit me over the head with an extendable baton."
He wonders if the police pressure downtown is moving crime to nearby neighbourhoods.
"It just moves it. It's like oil and water, you know, they just move it," agreed Konopaki.
Hanson said the force has allocated resources to deal with "displacement" crime, but did not detail where police think that will be located.
The three-year police strategy also calls for a community diversion court where people with addictions or mental health issues can be referred for treatment rather than imprisonment.